Thoughts on This and That by @Medina_Marie17

It is the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals and these are (some) the
names making headlines. Notice who’s names aren’t in there? The ones who are
paid to shine the most.

Has anyone noticed that, for the past few years (make that
closer to 10 years), the Stanley Cup finals are where team’s stars go to die?
Last year alone, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews had only 1 goal each in the
Stanley Cup final. Yes, the Blackhawks won, but it is decidedly easier to do so when those stars are living up to expectations. Take the Penguins last Cup run. In 2009, who stepped up and won it all for the Penguins? Max
Talbot…a grinder.

The Penguins are about to be 4 games into the Final and Evgeni Malkin
is still dealing with...whatever is bothering him. I have to be honest; I am
really getting tired of wondering when he is going to “break out”. I’m not
going to sit here and be all “Trade Malkin” but there is no one who can deny
that there is something wrong. He had the game winner on his stick and normally, that would mean a goal. He just could not get it together enough to put it past Sharks goalie, Martin Jones.

Is it fatigue? Is it an undisclosed injury? Is Mama Malkin
not making his special soup anymore? Whatever it is, Evgeni Malkin needs to put
it in his rear view faster than Carl Hagelin can skate blue line to blue line.
I would love to see him have a highlight reel worthy game just as much as
anyone, but I will settle one goal. Just one.

If we know Geno, that’s all it’s going to take and the flood
gates will open. I pray that tonight will be the night.

For the record, Mr. Malkin, until you put that goal up, don’t
go criticizing your own power play unit. You haven’t exactly been noticeable on
that top power-play line either, so I hope you are looking in the mirror when
you make comments like “soft” and “playing casual”. Ben Lovejoy has scored a
goal in this series…nothing is impossible.

Blockin’ Ya’ll

They say “Jesus Saves”, but I don’t they meant in a hockey
sense. But the next time you see Ian Cole, ask to see his crucifix charm. He
blocked a shot earlier this season (Easter) that all but cracked the heavy
charm in two.

Here we are, deep into a Cup run, and Ian Cole is still
laying his body down. He leads the Penguins with 45 blocked shots this post
season but no member of the team has been without their own “badge of courage”.

Nick Bonino (who ranks second with 42 shots blocked) admits
he has a few marks left from Brent Burns and his heavy shot. He calls those
monster shots the “fun ones” to block. Whatever floats your boat, Bonino. If
the puck doesn’t get to the net, have all the fun you want.

“It’s a pride
and honor to try and block shots and try to help out your goalie. It’s a huge
part of the penalty kill but in the playoffs it’s an even bigger thing to block
shots” said penalty-killer and 4th liner, Tom Kuhnhackl.

Leave it to Ben
Lovejoy to sum it all up:

“If that means
blocking shots, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Both players
could not be more correct. If you are willing to do what needs done, sacrifice
yourself and your body for the betterment of the team and take a 80mph slapper
to the gut, then blessing upon you my child because that takes true grit. Amen.

The Bigger the Tree…

If the Penguins
have learned anything from Game 3, it’s that the Sharks (it seems) want to try and
out hit them and heavily so. The physical play in Game 3 was something else.
But the Penguin’s are used to bigger teams trying to outmuscle them.

To put a number
on things, the Sharks now hold a commanding 90-53 advantage in the “hits”
column.

However, take
into account the two other teams that tried brawn over brains- the New York
Rangers and the Washington Capitals. What are they doing right now? I know what
Ranger, J.T. Miller, is doing. In fact, I could (probably) drive up to the golf
course right now and shake his hand if I wanted.

Heavy hitting
and overly- aggressive play only matters when you are winning and, for most of
the game, the Sharks were not. They had their surges but for the most part,
Game 3 was pretty even when it came to intensity. The Penguins forced the Sharks
to make a perfect shot, in overtime. An overtime that was controlled mostly by
the Pens.

From the lips
of Carl Hagelin: “From day one of the playoffs, we knew every team was going to
try to play physical against us. When we skate the way we can and finish our
checks, we’re not fun to play against.”

Please…do that
more and, like the others, the big trees will fall.

A Final Tidbit

Can someone
explain to me how you can fall asleep during a hockey game? Not just any hockey
game…the STANLEY CUP FINAL! With the noise, yelling, music, screaming, and goal
horns, how could you possibly be asleep and a deep sleep at that. It wasn’t even
a late game, oh Fans of the Fin. It was over at about 9:30pm(California time). Grab
a highly caffeinated drink at the game or take a nap during the day. Otherwise stay
home on the couch, open the seat to someone else and don’t waste the $900 or
more that you spent. This goes for you too, Penguins fans.